Once a young spiritual seeker came to meet the Zen master to learn about zen philosophy. He came to the monastery and asked for the Zen master. The disciple took the young man to his master.
The Zen master greeted the young man and asked the purpose of his visit. The young man said-
“I’m a spiritual seeker. I have learned and explored different religions and philosophies. I have also read about Zen but I wanted to learn Zen from a master like you. Would you be kind enough to teach me Zen?”
The master replied –
“Sure. I will be happy to teach you about Zen. But first, let’s have a cup of tea together.”
The master took the young man to his chamber and they sat down across the table. The master took two empty cups and started pouring tea in one of the cups. The young man started talking about what he had read and his understanding of Zen. The master started pouring the tea in the second cup while the young man continued to talk.
The cup was now full to the brim but the Zen master continued to pour the tea in the cup. The tea now started overflowing but the master continued to pour the tea. The young man could not understand why the master was continuing to pour the tea. The tea now started to flow on the table. The young man could not take it any longer and he shouted –
“Master, please stop! The cup is already full, why are you pouring more tea??”
The Zen master stopped pouring the tea. He smiled and said to the young man –
“You see, like this cup, you are full of your views, perception, and thoughts about Zen. How can I teach you anything about Zen? For that, you will have to empty your cup first!”
Wisdom Bite
Aren’t we like the young man, with our perceptions, knowledge, and understanding about things which may be incomplete. Yet we believe that we know everything. Google and the internet have made this all the easier. We read a few things here and there and are ready to give our opinions, views about anything.
If we want to learn and build expertise in any field, we need to seek knowledge from the expert who has spent many years in that field. we should have an open mind and be an active listener. We should empty our cup, only then we will be able to learn the right way.
